Reunion
by Nowherefast
Summary: Galatea reappears in Rabona where she reunites with her comrades from the Northern Campaign. However, is there a deeper reason to why she has lost her sight? Spoilers up to chapter 82.
1. Chapter 1 Return

**Reunion**

Disclaimer: I don't own Claymore or any of the characters used or anything affiliated with them that would go to Norihiro Yagi of course. This is purely a fan fiction with no intent at profit and created solely for the enjoyment of fellow fans of the series. With that said I like Galatea the most and this story will focus on her as it progresses. She does not get enough exposure as evidenced by the few amounts of fan fictions she appears in. And there will not be anything gratuitous here so hopefully more people will decide to give this a look through. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I had in creating this and go Galatea!

A special thanks goes to Supreme Distraction for being a superb beta reader.

Reviews would be appreciated if you have the time.

Spoiler: If you haven't read past chapter 82 in the manga the spoilers can be heavy from the beginning.

**Chapter 1 Return**

Seven figures dashed through the rain; the naked eye barely able to keep pace with them. All of them were wearing cloaks that kept their faces hidden, but even a human would be able to identify they had a powerful aura.

"You're sure she's there Tabitha?" Clare said as she looked back at the ponytailed blonde.

"Yes, although it's faint I'm sure it's her" she answered back. Clare increased her pace as Helen shot her an annoyed look.

"There goes Clare the barbarian rushing into battle again," chided the mischievous, shorthaired woman.

"Give her a break Helen. I'm curious to see if she is still alive after all these years as well" countered the leader of the group, Miria.

They continued their torrid pace through the forest towards one of the few links they had left from the past.

It had been seven years since the disastrous northern campaign had left only seven survivors that reappeared in Rabona. The weather was foul as if crying at the presence of an Awakened Being, accentuating the destruction caused by Agatha. Clare and the others had quickly dispatched the Awakened Being and prevented Galatea from being killed—the very same Galatea that had not been part of the northern campaign and had not been heard from by the other members since she had promised to Clare and Jean that they would meet again someday.

Clare knew that Galatea had failed to bring her back to the Organization after their encounter with Riful of the West and the warrior had been worried that the beautiful woman had been killed for her disobedience. On the other hand, she had met the current number three of the Organization who had replaced Galatea and had been told that the woman was probably alive—deserted from the chaos created seven years ago.

Clare had experience with Galatea's Yoki sensing abilities, but she had still doubted whether or not the warrior was still alive.

Nonetheless, Galatea was in front of her—injured from the battle, but alive. Her regal figure and beautiful hair were the same as always, but there was a terrible scar covering the entirety of where the silver eyes that their kind were known for should have been. Clare considered her a big sister in a way since she had caused so much trouble for her and hadn't really thanked the woman. She was still bleeding from the wounds Agatha and Miata had given her, but considering she was a defensive type, Clare thought she would be alright.

As Cynthia helped Galatea heal with her Yoki, Clare had the urge to ask why the now-unranked warrior had lost her sight, but thought it was rather rude of her to do so. Galatea soon answered her question, however, as a result of questioning from Miria:

"I got hurt because I wanted to live in secrecy in this town. If I wanted to heal it, it would have happened long ago"

"You seem to… not regret it," Miria commented.

"Why should I? To me, this is a place that is more important than light."

While Miria convinced Miata and Clarice—who were chasing Galatea—to desert the organization Clare was left alone to her thoughts. She wondered why the long-haired female would be in Rabona of all places as a nun and using herself as bait to fight an Awakened Being that she had no chance of defeating.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Miria, who began explaining how she believed that the organization was fighting a war outside of their known continent and that they were using this area as a testing ground for Awakened Beings. Galatea seemed as surprised as anyone else, but when Miria was explaining that the organization created male Awakened Beings first as weapons Clare saw a sad smile cross the woman's face.

"Is there something wrong number forty-seven? Or should I say Clare?" Galatea asked suddenly, her face turning towards Clare as Miria finished speaking. Everyone turned to look at the two.

"Uh, no, it's nothing... nothing really, Galatea," Clare said, distracted. She wondered if Galatea had somehow sensed her gaze.

"I thought you looked in my direction that's all" Galatea said. She stood up, healed of her more significant injuries and thanked Cynthia for her help.

"Well, it's about time that we start negotiations with the city. The rest of you should try to relax for a while" The sixth ranked warrior announced, flicking some of the gore off of her claymore.

They dispersed: Tabitha, and Cynthia went with Miria to aid in her negotiating with the city; Deneve, Helen, Uma, and Clare went to the local tavern for some drinks. Clare had wanted to catch up with Galatea, but the woman was already gone by the time she started looking for her.

Helen was making a raucous scene in the tavern, seeming drunk though she could easily filter out the alcohol. For once, Deneve didn't chastise her for her actions. Uma asked Deneve why Helen was in such a happy mood but the slayer knew better—Helen was trying to drown out the revelations that Miria had revealed to them only a couple of hours ago.

At the tavern, Clare met with Sid and Galk, two soldiers from one of her earlier missions in Rabona, and discovered that Raki was still alive looking for her. She couldn't believe her ears—apparently Raki had been in Rabona a mere year or so ago. With a renewed sense of hope Clare felt that her search had not been in vain. Sid told her that Raki appeared to be retracing their footsteps from their original journey to find Clare, therefore, the lowest ranking warrior made up her mind: it was time for her to have a reunion with the boy who had, by now, grown up to be a man.

The other three claymores watched as Clare glided away and Uma was the first to break the silence:

"I think that she may go try and search for him?"

"Yeah, that's what she'll do and Miria isn't going to be too happy about it" Deneve said softly, shaking her head at Clare's tenacity.

"I better go find Raki and see for myself how much he has changed." Clare thought to herself.

"Do you intend to search for that boy and disregard your mission to get revenge on the organization, Clare?" Galatea's voice rang in Clare's ears on her way out of the tavern.

"Ga-Galatea! I was—how did you hear about this?" Clare stammered, looking away from Galatea; She had appeared suddenly and Clare had almost jumped out of her greaves.

"It's alright if you're going to go on your own for a while to search for that boy. Actually, I encourage you to do so," Galatea stated bluntly.

"… Why would you encourage me to disregard the main mission and search for Raki?" Clare inquired, struggling to keep the incredulity from her tone and face.

"Let me tell you the reason why I voluntarily lost my light. Would you be willing to listen? And you should, considering you cut my hair earlier in the day" Galatea said in a rather sarcastic tone that gave her little choice.

Clare had wanted to talk to the blind woman, so she put her pursuit of Raki on hold for the time being. Besides, the only thing she knew was that Raki was somewhere in the west and wasn't really sure of his exact location.

"I'll listen to you, Galatea."

"Good. Let's go back inside, shall we?" Galatea motioned with her left hand. They reentered the tavern with Galatea in the lead.

"Huh? Galatea shouldn't a nun not be in a tavern?" Helen asked, her voice louder than usual. Her face went red, "Hmm… I think I drank too much Deneve."

"Even though Helen is drunk I have to agree," Deneve muttered, annoyed, as she supported Helen.

"I usually wouldn't come here, but I want a place to talk to Clare. Would you mind not listening in on us?" Galatea said as she strode to the back and sat at a table far from the others.

"Sure, Galatea," Deneve mumbled as she helped Helen walk out of the tavern. Uma followed too, sensing a flare of yoki from Galatea that told her to get lost. Clare took a seat in the chair across from Galatea, propping her head on her hands, elbows on the wooden surface before her. Truthfully, she wondered what Galatea could possibly have to say to her. They were the only two people in the tavern besides the owner who looked warily at the Claymore and wondered why she would be with a nun.

"What I am about to tell you is my own story of why I abandoned the Organization and why you see me as a blind nun in this holy city. You will see in the end why I decided to tell you this story before you start to search for that boy," Galatea began, her tone that of someone with painful memories.


	2. Chapter 2 Recall

**Chapter 2** **Recall**

I returned to the Organization after our encounter with Riful without you and they weren't pleased. However, I was considered hard to replace since my perception abilities were greater than any other Claymore the organization had at the time.

Clare moved a bit uncomfortably in her chair due to the fact that she considered it partly her fault that Galatea had gotten in trouble with the organization.

"_Galatea we are disappointed that you failed to bring back number forty-seven. However, we are also aware that you met Riful of the West so perhaps it could not be helped. Wait for further orders."_

_I was dismissed without any real punishment and felt relieved I had gotten away so easily._

_Unfortunately, after that event the Organization was not as enamored with me as before. I had directly disobeyed an order and they were concerned that I would run wild like number forty-seven or some other renegades. My handler, Elmita watched me a lot more carefully whenever we were together. _

_Things grew more chaotic as I heard about some of the details surrounding the Northern Campaign. I heard that Claymore such as you, Miria, Helen, Deneve, and Flora had been assigned to this campaign. I felt compelled to voice my opinions against such an operation since I considered it a suicide mission with no chance for success. The organization quickly rebuffed me and I could sense their growing unease with me as I marched out of the room. They even had the nerve to tell me a new "eye" was being developed meaning my usefulness to them was coming to a close._

_Over time, I grew more suspicious of the Organization's activities as I heard some disturbing rumors surrounding the development of Alicia and Beth. I was allowed to witness Alicia and Beth use soul link against Awakened Beings. I knew at that moment I wanted nothing to do with the Organization's activities. They were mere machines with no human self and I wanted no part of that._

"There were a lot of us assembled, but I never thought that we would have had to fight Rigald and so many Yoma. I thought the organization had just grouped us half-Awakened together to get rid of us but there were others like Flora who were part of the northern campaign and had mostly obeyed the organization. I guess it was a purging of the current Claymore to bring in the next generation," Clare recalled. Galatea brought her attention back by coughing.

_Before the northern campaign began I received a mission to hunt for an extremely powerful Yoma. I was told that the target was near the forests outside Rabona. Supposedly this was a request by an unknown source inside the city. _

"_You are to go alone on this mission, Galatea," Elmita said in a monotone before turning his back and walking away from me._

"_Well, that's interesting I'll remember to enjoy myself for the first time in a while." I smirked, already walking in the direction of Rabona. This whole operation reeked of a trap but I couldn't just refuse the orders I was given._

_It was nice to be alone again--I felt a certain amount of serenity and privacy without that hooded troll stalking my every move. If I wasn't on this mission I would've taken more time to enjoy the nature around me; A light wind played with my hair as I got closer to the designated location and birds chirped sweetly._

_Once I was near the outside of the forest I could detect faint sources of Yoki permeating the stillness. However, the amount of Yoki seemed inconsequential and I started to wonder if the Organization had gotten a request for some small fry that I shouldn't be wasting my time with. I ventured into the forest gazing at the canopy enjoying the peace that I knew wouldn't last. My thinking was interrupted when multiple Yoma appeared, but they seemed to have very little Yoma energy. Once I drew my claymore, however, their Yoki increased and was larger than any regular Yoma._

"_Well, this is unexpected," I said sarcastically as I took a defensive stance. The Yoma encircled me blocking off any exits--not that I was worried._

"_Oooh, they've sent only one Claymore to fight all of us? Surely, they are underestimating us," exclaimed one of the larger Yoma whom I guessed to be leader of the group. His sinister yellow eyes glared at me ready to exploit any hesitation or weakness._

_The ground shook as the first Yoma started to charge and I used my ability to control Yoki to throw its attack off and quickly dispatched it in a cloud of purple gore._

"_I see you have some nasty tricks you filthy half beast," the leader muttered. "If more than one of us attack at once though I doubt you'll be able to use your trick effectively." With this he signaled for the two beside him to attack._

_Two Yoma attacked from opposite directions at the same time and I twirled by claymore to impale the one attacking from my left and barely avoided the other Yoma. This other Yoma seemed to be covered in scales similar to the armor Duph had._

_These were not ordinary Yoma: they were analyzing what I was doing and attempting to attack any weak points they could find. I thought that if I took out the leader they would fall into disarray. _

_I lunged at the largest of the Yoma and, as I had thought, the armored Yoma stepped in to protect its leader before I could reach it. I quickly knelt and slashed the weaker underbelly of the armored Yoma who recoiled in pain and fell to the ground. _

_I thought that I could use the body of the armored Yoma as a shield for the split second I would be vulnerable to the leader. I was wrong; its claw pierced through both the injured Yoma and my right shoulder. It was becoming obvious that they were not afraid to use anything to gain an advantage against me. Even though it went against my idea of aesthetics I thought that I would have to start using Yoma energy to win. There were still four Yoma left including the leader._

_A foul aura encircled my body as I felt the Yoki spreading through my body and I knew my eyes were changing to the familiar golden yellow. Moving methodically, I got ready to attack another Yoma, who tried to defend but was instantly dismembered. While this happened another Yoma managed to gash my left arm. I retaliated by using the hilt of my claymore to smash its skull open. This left only the leader and one other Yoma._

_To my surprise the leader looked amused by the destruction of his subordinates._

"_What's so amusing?" I inquired. "Can't you see there's only two of you left?" I steadied myself and prepared for the next round of attacks._

"_Yes, I can see that clearly. I'll even help you out a bit." A split second later, the leader brutally ripped apart the other Yoma and threw its body with the others. By now the stench of rotting Yoma flesh was the only thing I could smell in this forest._

"_Quite the leader you are," I mused not sure whether I had gained an advantage or not._

"_They're expendable. I can always find more and I wanted to gauge your abilities," it answered._

"_I'm honored" I sneered ready to send this Yoma to its grave. _

"_Though, I must say I'm impressed. Tell me, what number are you?" _

"_I don't need to answer to the dead."_

"_Quite confident in your abilities I see," the Yoma said calmly, gathering Yoki as it spoke. There were tremors as the creature began to move around. "Let's see how well you do against me." _

_It quickly moved to my right and I had a hard time keeping track of it as it let off attack after attack. I parried the blows with some difficulty and tried to land a heavy cut on its leg. It somersaulted away and charged again the speed of its attack growing and only through my perception abilities could I block its attacks. A jab with its right hand was merely a feint as it tried to take my head with the other hand. I was forced to block it with my claymore right beside my face. We were at a stalemate until the creature leaped backwards, out of my blade's range._

"_Your perception abilities are quite impressive. But I wonder how well you will do when my Yoki is overflowing," the Yoma said mockingly. It attacked the same way as before, but the attacks had far more destructive power. It was becoming increasingly difficult to parry and its fists left small craters in the ground from the sheer force._

"_Shit, I can't read the flow at this rate…" I finally managed to cleave through most of its left shoulder and it howled in pain. That didn't prevent the monster from striking while my blade was buried in its flesh; It landed a powerful blow with its left hand that tore through my stomach. _

_Blood came gushing out and I collapsed onto one knee unable to support myself. However, the Yoma was struggling from its wound and I saw an opportunity. The battle had to end quickly or I would be in trouble. I struggled to my feet and the Yoma did not move. It seemed content on letting me attack so that it could counterattack like before._

"_I was hoping this would go a bit more smoothly, but things don't always go as planned," I groaned, patching my wound the best I could with Yoki. _

"_You won't be talking so much after I rip open the rest of your body," it screeched. "And after, I'll eat your guts!" _

_It had lost its calm. Rage clouded the creature's simple mind and it attacked without caution, throwing its huge frame forward; I used my Yoki manipulation to make its attack miss my vital organs by the barest margin and managed to impale the monster through its face._

"_Impossible… you should be at your limit," the Yoma moaned as its body crumpled to the ground, a pool of purple collecting beneath its fallen form._

_I had won the battle and didn't sense any other Yoma in the area, but I had been critically injured and expended a lot of Yoki._

_This didn't look good._

_The world became foggy and I didn't feel the impact between my body and the earth as I slid into unconsciousness. _


	3. Chapter 3 Restart

**Chapter 3** **Restart**

Author's Note: What would be the best way to combine an image to go along with the story? Since this is text only I'm not sure whether it should be literally typing out an address to a photobucket or deviantart. Anyways, enjoy the chapter.

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_I have no idea how long I was passed out for. It was a pleasant respite despite the smell of rotting corpses near me because no one from the Organization was bothering me to get up._

Clare, who had been listening intently the entire time, jumped slightly. She _thought _she had heard something, but the tavern was just as empty as it had been before Galatea had started speaking. Deeming it as nothing more than her imagination, the warrior returned her attention to her companion.

_By the time I came to, I was lying on a bed in what appeared to be a small cabin. My injuries were bandaged clumsily, but they were reassuring—why would an enemy bother? Other than the searing headache I had acquired from losing so much blood earlier, I wasn't really in any pain. I looked around the cabin and saw that it was a simple place with nothing but the bare necessities to survive. The owner had to be either someone with Spartan tastes or rather poor; there was nothing obvious to tell who lived here since there were no decorations or clothing. In the far corner of the room I saw my claymore propped up against the wall._

"_Hmm… I wonder how I got here since claymores are despised by humans and they wouldn't normally help us." I pondered over this for a while. Having no answer, I focused on healing my injuries the best I could. Once the bleeding stopped, I relented and rested my head on the hard pillow; even though it was of poor quality it was nice to just have a bed to rest in. Normally, I would just sit under a tree and rest warily, trying to sense any surprise attacks by Yoma. _

_I recalled the earlier battle; the difficulty I had against the Yoma and how the Organization had probably sent me alone on purpose. It was true that most of the Claymore were participating in the Northern Campaign, but it was highly unlikely that anyone should have been sent alone on this mission. Scanning the area, there didn't seem to be any more disturbances, but my perception could have been dulled from the strain I endured._

_I wanted to at least thank the person who helped me get to safety and let me rest peacefully. No one came in for a while so I ventured outside._

_The cabin was in a clearing on the outskirts of the forest. The holy city of Rabona was in plain view and I judged it to be rather close. There wasn't anything that caught my attention so I went back inside the cabin to recuperate. A sturdy wooden table was in the center of the room; I collapsed into a nearby chair and focused on healing for the next hour._

_The slow process was interrupted by the door opening and the entrance of a figure that was about the same height as me, wearing a hooded cloak that revealed only dark chestnut colored eyes. The cloak was of a supple jet black material that seemed to be tattered from being worn too much and it covered entirety of the wearer's body from my view, making it impossible for me to tell if they were male or female. I was suspicious that this individual could have been part of the Organization, but I did not recognize them._

"_I see that you're awake. Are you feeling better?" a low voice emanated from the figure as it strode across the room and sat on a chair opposite to me. I assumed that this individual was a man due to his tone; I had a sense of relief because it was not one I recognized from anyone within the Organization. _

"_I want to thank you for assisting me earlier. And yes, I will be fine since I've already healed most of my serious injuries," I said in a gentle tone I usually didn't use. Still it was a bit odd that he refused to show his face to me. "Is there a reason that I can't see who I'm thanking?" my sarcastic tone was returning. I was curious what kind of person would help a Claymore._

"_No, no you don't need to see my disfigured face. It's nothing worth looking at. I'm merely a peddler living in this forest close to Rabona where I make my living. I'm just glad that you're able to move again. You were heavily injured and I did the best I could with what I have here" he explained. "I saw you sitting beside a tree, unconscious due to blood loss, so I couldn't help but carry you here where you could recover in peace. It did not matter to me whether you were a silver-eyed witch—I could not leave you to die."_

"_I see. Would you mind if I rested a bit longer here then?" I asked."I would like to recover fully just in case there are more powerful Yoma similar to the ones I fought earlier." It was a reasonable excuse to recover my strength especially since this human didn't seem to mind my presence in his home. Also, I had taken a small liking to him for not showing any signs of outward prejudice towards me and I could feel that, emotionally, it was the same. _

"_Do as you wish. I'll be in Rabona buying some supplies. Make yourself comfortable as best you can in my humble abode," He added as he stood up from his chair. Before he could leave I asked:_

"_Do you have anything that could help alleviate my headache?" I knew it was a long shot, but I wanted to ask him at least._

"_Hmm, nothing comes to mind, but I'll see if I can get some herbs from Rabona to make something for you." He said thoughtfully. With that, he was gone—off to Rabona._

_I had certainly met an interesting human. It was a nice change to not be given nasty stares like I was a foul beast that would eat humans just like Yoma. _

"_Yeah, I could get used to this" I smiled as I kicked my feet up on the table._

_After a while, I came back to reality considering what the best course of action was. On one hand, the Organization had knowingly sent me into a fight that they had probably hoped would kill me. On the other hand, I could be mistaken and the Organization may have been stretched so thin and had to have sent me alone. Either way it would be wise to recover from my injuries before deciding what I should do._

_Besides, I wanted a mirror to see how I looked. _

_My silver eyes stared back at me and I didn't look too bad considering I had fought a group of Yoma. This made my mind wander back to the man who carried me here. What could possibly be his motive in helping a Claymore? Due to experience, I doubted that what he had said earlier was the full reason behind helping me._

_Tired of thinking, I looked around the cabin some more. There was a bookshelf filled with ordinary titles, none of which caught my attention. However, something caught my eye on the top of the bookshelf: there was one book there, but it looked like there was something behind it. As I brought the book down, a cascade of pills fell to the floor. I picked one up in curious wonder and was shocked to find that it was an energy suppressant— the ones that we use to conceal our Yoki and blend in with humans._

"What? Why would he have energy suppressants?" Clare asked. "I thought only the Organization had access to them."

"My thoughts as well," Galatea said demurely. "There was more to this man than he was letting on and I wanted to know just what he was."

There was silence for a while. Then, Galatea turned her face to focus on a spot over Clare's shoulder:

"Oh, and by the way, you guys can show your faces now."

Galatea used her Yoki to remove the tablecloth from the large table in the center of the room and underneath it were the other six survivors of the Northern Campaign.

"Galatea just_—_ how did you_—_?" Helen didn't get to finish as Galatea made her lose her balance and everyone fell down in a manner similar to a neat line of dominoes.

"Miria this is your fault" Helen grumbled as they attempted to untangle their bodies from one another. "You told us that she wouldn't notice us come in through the side entrance."

"I didn't tell you to follow me nor did I tell the rest of you to," Miria responded coldly, wiping the dust off her uniform.

"I'm sorry Galatea I didn't mean to," Cynthia whimpered with a reproachful look at Miria.

"Stop complaining you two," Deneve muttered as she tried not to look in Galatea's direction.

"That'll teach you for trying to eavesdrop" Galatea said with that sarcastic smile of hers. She waved her hand, "You've been punished enough so pull up some chairs and listen to the rest of my story."

The blonde females each grabbed a chair and sat around Galatea in a half circle, eager to listen.

The tavern owner was both terrified and annoyed at once; hadn't someone told these people that they should at least buy something if they were going to take over his tavern?


	4. Chapter 4 Reunion

Author's Note: I'll just preface this final chapter by saying this. I'm not sure what to expect really since not many people gave their opinions on the story so far. That being said I hope you all enjoy this ending... like I said not having much feedback made it harder to decide where to focus such as character development or a better backstory. Either way hope you had fun reading and leave your thoughts in a review since it'll help in the future.

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Chapter 4 Reunion

_Immediately, I grabbed my claymore and decided to confront this mysterious figure once he returned from his errand. I did not sense any Yoma energy coming from him in the short amount of time we talked. However, he could have taken an energy suppressant so that not even I could detect it. I felt uneasy about this whole situation and guilty that I was going to return his hospitality in such a way._

_It started to rain and I could hear the constant pit and patter of the raindrops as I stared forlornly outside a window, up at the sky. There was an ominous feeling within my chest that I could not shake off. I gripped my claymore tighter and prepared for the worst_—_ whatever it may be. He returned after a while with some groceries from Rabona and I was behind him in one motion, my claymore held against his neck. _

"_Just who are you exactly?" I demanded. "I found energy suppressants which means you couldn't possibly be a normal human."_

_He didn't make any movements. Then:_

"_Well, this is disappointing. I was hoping that you wouldn't find those. But then again, maybe I was hoping you would since I left them where you would easily notice them." He calmly laid the groceries out on the wooden table and took out some herbs._

"_Can I at least make you something for that headache of yours since you don't look that well?" he asked. I felt a twinge of guilt at his continued willingness to help me, but my instincts spurred me on._

"_Answer my question. Or I will take your head." I drew my claymore closer to his neck and yet he still did not flinch._

"_My, my, no need to be so rash. Couldn't you be a bit more polite to someone who helped you instead of trying to take their head?" he responded. "Well, I guess it can't be helped now since you won't let me go." His elbow caught me in the side and he slipped out of my grasp; my claymore smashed the table in two as he dashed out of the cabin and into the open area outside. _

_I followed him cautiously, claymore at ready. Back turned to me, he released a surge of Yoki that forced me back. The male wheeled around; the eyes I stared into were the same silver as my own and were changing to the yellow of a Yoma. Nothing else changed, however__—__his form was the same as before. Was it possible that I had encountered someone from Isley's generation that had not fully Awakened?_

"That couldn't be." Miria closed her eyes and opened them again, clasped her hands together pensively, "No male could possibly resist the pleasure to fully Awaken."

"In the annals of the Organization it is said that females were chosen to be Claymore since males were unable to resist the desire," Clare mused to no one in particular. "They have told us about the failure to control Isley, Rigardo, and Duph… Could there be someone with such willpower? Someone who didn't Awaken?" She shook her head in disbelief.

"It is hard to believe, but let me continue." Galatea soothed, quieting her juniors. "As I was saying, he turned his back on me and we had a terse conversation…"

"_You seem to be surprised, Claymore. What's wrong?" he sneered and two large claws extended dangerously from his cloak. _

"_I have to guess you're from Isley's generation, but have somehow managed to keep your humanity__—__a remarkable feat." I tried to ascertain the extent of his power. As far as I could tell he had only Awakened his arms and he began his attack before I could analyze him further._

"_You have no time for daydreaming, Claymore." His claws extended and spiraled quickly towards me. I somersaulted forward to dodge them and charged; he jumped just as I got to him. A claw shot towards me and I blocked it with my claymore above my head, but I looked more closely and it had changed to a scythe. I shook it off and held my ground as he returned to the earth._

"_The ability to change shape at will is not something a normal Claymore should have," I observed, voice calm though my mind was racing. "Partial Awakening seems unlikely so you must be holding back."_

_Another chain of attacks began with his claws. Judging by the pattern and style of attacks it seemed that he did not excel in close combat. I weaved through his attacks, drawing closer and closer with each swing. One of the arms retreated and returned to its normal state while the other changed into a hammer. There was no way such a large weapon was going to catch me! I landed a series of blows on his arm blood spurting from his wounds._

"_Too slow, there is no way you'll hit me with that," I said as the arm retreated, injured. As I said this I noticed that the other arm had burrowed into the ground and quickly tried to locate it._

"_Try and escape from this, female!" _

_Out of the ground came innumerable blades. I swung my claymore around in a full revolution to try and cut them off; I used enough Yoki energy to avoid getting caught and used my ability to alter the targets of the ones I couldn't reach. However, I couldn't stave off all of them and I was being torn apart. A burst of Yoki energy created an opening past the myriad blades and a rising slash hit its mark on his abdomen. I stepped back and got into a defensive stance._

"_*Cough* Not bad. I commend you on that last attack" he said, bleeding profusely. I looked at where my Claymore had hit and was surprised to see that it was the flesh of a human and not a Yoma. _

"_Maybe you have not fully Awakened… If this is the limit of your strength prepare to die," I said as I drew my Claymore for the final blow._

"_No, not yet" he screamed. _

_He avoided the brunt of my attack, but I was able to shear his left arm off and it fell to the ground with a thud. At the same time the other arm morphed into a spear. At such a close range I only managed to change its trajectory slightly; It pierced my shoulder and I was thrown off my feet. _

_My body's flight stopped only when the spear hit a tree in the distance._

_I couldn't believe the amount of power that last attack had especially considering I had wounded him and he was still bleeding. I grabbed the spear and pulled it out. My left shoulder was crushed and I could only grab my claymore with one hand. It didn't help that my injuries from the previous battle were not healed properly. _

"_Damn…" I slumped forward, trying to gather myself as he moved towards me. Firming my grip on my claymore, I mustered enough Yoki to stand upright. _

_I was going to pass my limit if I did not end this now. _

"_You are finally at your limit like I wanted," he wheezed. _

_As he dashed towards me I forced my body to move to engage him; I lunged with my claymore, my path true, as his spear arm aimed for me but at the last second the spear vanished. My claymore pierced right through him… it had to be a fatal blow. He bled heavily, but did not let out a scream._

"_I'm glad you finally reached your limit or else you might have done something foolish and tried to save me, Galatea." I was shocked that he had called my name. My curiosity couldn't be denied any longer__—__I removed the tightly wrapped hood from his face and was unable to speak. The face that stared back at me was pale as the life left it, but handsome nonetheless; the yellow eyes had returned to the pale silver from before._

"_Now don't give me that look. There was only one person that I continued living for without Awakening completely" he gasped._

"_No! Stop talking! Please, save your strength" I pulled my claymore out of him and his body slumped on to my shoulders._

_The male was my first friend at the Organization. I had believed him to have been killed after I never heard from him again. We had only been together for a short time, but he showed me kindness even though I misbehaved while training to be the Organization's eye at a young age. _

_Few people within the Organization knew he had been part of Isley's generation._

"_I was tortured by the Organization and watched as others like Isley, Rigardo, and Dauf Awakened, wrecking havoc on the land. They had given into the pleasure that comes with Awakening, but I resisted for the sake of my humanity," he told me. "But I found a new reason to not give in and that was to take care of you, Galatea."_

_Once considered to have enough potential to be in the top five he was deemed useless by the Organization for not Awakening and was put to the task of taking care of me while they decided what to do with him. I had heard he was sent on a mission that was a trap to be executed as a failed experiment. _

"_They're sending me on a mission for the first time in months Galatea." He patted my head as he was preparing to leave._

"_No, don't go!" _

_I remember grabbing his arm. _

"_I'll be back as quickly as possible." He smiled…_

… _And never returned._

_The tears welled up, flowing down my face and onto his._

"_Why? Why does it have to be this way?" I cried as I held him close._

"_I overheard some Claymore discussing the Northern Campaign one day as I was traveling in between cities. They seemed to be troubled and were jealous that they and a few others weren't going to be part of it. Others including you; the de facto number one, Galatea."_

"_After all these years I finally had an opportunity to almost guarantee our meeting by causing enough chaos so that the priests would exaggerate the strength of the monster in the area. I couldn't let that opportunity slip away," he murmured._

"_It was fate… No, it was due to my selfishness that it ended this way. I was unable to contain my emotions when I saw you wounded sitting next to that tree. I nearly awakened then, but wanted to talk to you before you could put me to rest." Tears were starting to form in his eyes. "My mind was becoming fragile from resisting the urge to fully Awaken and it wouldn't be long before I cracked. I went to Rabona because I couldn't stand being so close to you and I didn't know what I was going to say to you." His body was convulsing and he moaned in agony. "I had to get you just before your limit so you wouldn't try and heal me when it was all said and done."_

_Everything made sense to me, but at the same time, it was so cruel because we were torn apart once and now we would be again. I embraced him even harder than before. _

_The next thing I did was based on instinct more than anything else._

"_The last thing I want to see with my eyes… is you." I took his clawed hand and blinded myself._

"_*Sigh* You were always so stubborn… How am I supposed to see your beautiful eyes now Galatea?" he joked sadly. "But considering how vain you are, you must really love me to mangle your eyes like that." _

"_Oh, shut up you idiot." I kissed him. _

_Time was running out as his body became colder and colder._

"_Here's my last request, Galatea. Please, live on. Live in happiness for the both of us even though things didn't turn out so smoothly… ha-ha." _

_And with that he passed on._

_I closed his eyelids and screamed hysterically in anguish as the rain fell down on both of us. _

"I-I see Galatea." Miria never had any idea that her senior had such strong emotional ties to anyone else. She always seemed so sarcastic and apathetic to everyone.

"Wow, Galatea, I had no idea that was why you took your sight…" Clare mumbled not sure exactly how to respond.

"Yeah, it makes your journey for Raki sort of look like a joke, Clare" Helen added.

"Not like you'll ever have one, Helen." Deneve mocked.

"That was such a sad story, but I'm glad you two saw each other again" Cynthia intimated to Galatea.

Tabitha and Uma merely gave their nods of affirmation.

"You do see why I told you to go find Raki now?" Galatea mused.

"Yes, I do, Galatea, thank you for telling me everything," Clare said. They rose, walking out of the tavern together into the street. "But why did you end up deciding to stay in this city?"

"He told me to live in happiness and I found that happiness to be away from the Organization and with the children in this city," Galatea said looking toward the blue sky.

"I see. Hopefully I can find my own happiness once this is all over," Clare said.

"I'm sure you will," Galatea smiled. With a final farewell, she walked alone toward the church. The street was busy and full of people, but something was… strange.

The Northern Campaign survivors watched her and had to look again because they thought they saw a hooded figure guiding Galatea back to the church through the crush of bodies.

"Hey, Clare, doesn't that sort of look like_—_" Helen began.

"Yes, it looks like he is still walking by her side, protecting her. That must be where she draws her strength from."

Clare had a better idea of just what she was fighting for.


End file.
